Letters-to-the-Editor & Commentary

Promote, Don’t Ban, Rank Choice Voting

Published 2 years ago2y ago • Bookmarks: 34 • Comments: 1

June 1, 2023

Letter to the Editor:

Mike Lawler has introduced a bill(HR3704) that would ban ranked choice voting in federal elections. How regressive!

Candidates, who have won elections with ranked choice voting, captured the majority not just the plurality of votes as is often the case when there are more than two candidates.

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How many times have I considered voting for a candidate because I thought that candidate might win rather than I preferred her based her values and experience! Ranked choice voting eliminates that conundrum.

Delayed results are common in elections, not because of ranked voting, but due to state laws regarding when to count all votes that are not cast on Election Day. Ranked choice voting actually does away with the need for expensive runoff elections sometime in the future.

Candidates’ motivation to appeal to more voters and not just extremists is strengthened with ranked choice voting.

Where ranked choice voting has already been implemented, people overwhelmingly view the change as empowering.

I can’t understand why Congressman Lawler would sponsor a bill that diminishes the more accurate choices of the majority of voters. Not very democratic!

Sincerely,

Wendy Holtzman

Peekskill

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